PUPILS at a Greenock secondary school are going back to the future by joining a board game lunch club.

First year pupils at St Columba’s High School are discovering the simple pleasures of such traditional favourites as Ludo, Snakes & Ladders and Battleships.

The group has just been set up and has proved particularly popular with boys.

Principal teacher for support for learning Pauline Cormack said: “The club was set up because when pupils thought of games they thought of Playstation, not these board games.

“It also helps them to communicate with each other and allows more social interaction.”

Classroom assistant Michelle Thompson, who helps to run the sessions, says there has been positive feedback. She said: “There’s been a positive response from pupils since we started - although it’s all boys who have come along.

“At the first meeting of the club, they thought retro games were Pac-Man or Mario — console games. Most of them had been aware of board games but some pupils hadn’t played any of them.”

The youngsters are also encouraged to play noughts and crosses and hangman.

Pupil Dillon Hannah said: “It’s good to get away from everyone else talking about futuristic stuff and just play board games or charades.”

His classmate Matteo Lorenzelli is also a big fan.

He told the Tele: “It’s great. I like chess the best — it’s something I played in primary school quite a bit.”